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Halo Waypoint adding 'Atlas,' a multiplayer GPS tracker
If the Kinect reveal for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary wasn't enough, 343 Industries also targeted fans with some new Halo Waypoint functionality at this weekend's Comic Con. The downloadable app is getting real-time GPS tracking of multiplayer games via a new service called "Atlas." Yes, seriously -- while you're playing a multiplayer game of Halo: Reach, you can use Waypoint's GPS feature via Windows Phone 7 or the web (and other "mobiles," we're told) to watch troop movements from above. The updated version of Waypoint also adds the ability to send challenges to friends, similar to the weekly ones set originally via Bungie and now via 343 Industries within Reach multiplayer. 343 reps explained that you'll earn in-game credits for completing these challenges based on the difficulty of said tasks, but didn't dive too deeply into how it will all work exactly. We'll find out soon enough, as the update to Waypoint launches alongside Halo Anniversary on November 15. Update: We've added two Waypoint vids from Microsoft showcasing the update, one above and one after the break.
Microsoft solves Reach disc issues with Games on Demand
Did you get one of Microsoft's special copies of Halo: Reach? You know, the ones that were sent out to test their recent security update allowing developers more space on Xbox 360 game discs. You were probably super-stoked. Your stoke-age was halted this week though, in all likelihood, as the most recent Reach title update prevented players using one of those magic free discs to get online – and from enjoying the beta playlists designed to ease players into Halo CE Anniversary's multiplayer tweaks. Microsoft has previously mentioned that a simple title update probably wouldn't get the job done. So today, they've started giving away Games on Demand copies of the game to affected users.
Halo Anniversary gets Headlong remake; Reach title update drops Sept. 21
If you spent any considerable amount of time with Halo 2, then you've likely stomped around the Headlong map in your billion-dollar boots, helping to fertilize its soil with a few dead bodies. A new and improved version of that large-scale map, dubbed Breakneck, will ship with Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary, 343 Industries announced today. Some graphical tweaks have been made, but you may notice some layout differences as well. That teleporter on the Blue base's balcony has been replaced with a man-cannon and some panels have been added up there for better cover when moving from building to building. Red side's had an extension added to the Engineering Hallway and lost a chunk of the ceiling in the Office. 343 also sent word on the next big title update for Halo: Reach, due on September 21. Initially, the title update won't change anything for you, but come October 4 a special beta playlist will become active with 4-on-4 Objective and Slayer game modes. Here is where 343 will monitor games so that it can continue to shape Reach. Feel free to hop into our gallery below to check out shots of the new and improved Headlong Breakneck. You'll get a chance to see it in person when Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary launches on November 15. %Gallery-133740%
Watch Major League Gaming's Raleigh Championship Sunday, live on Joystiq!
Smell that? That gentle, wafting scent in the breeze? That unique blend of concession-stand popcorn, USB and pwn? It's a specific, enticing fragrance that can only mean one thing: It's time for Major League Gaming finals, and you can watch it all live on Joystiq! All day today, teams from around the globe will be competing for thousands of dollars in prizes across 4 games: Starcraft 2, Halo: Reach, Black Ops, and making its MLG debut, League of Legends. It's an exciting day for pro-gaming, so strap on your beer hat and big foam finger and head on through for the day's full schedule.
Halo: Reach title update coming in September, Armor Lock getting nerfed
At last night's Halo Fest event, we learned about a rather beefy title update to Halo: Reach that's set to launch sometime next month. The patch implements a number of significant (and, therefore, controversial) changes to the multiplayer title, with the biggest being the nerfing of the Armor Lock ability. Instead of making you an invulnerable juggernaut, Armor Lock now only prevents most of the damage done to you whilst locked, and no longer detaches stuck plasma grenades. Other changes include: the addition of "Shield Bleed-through," whereby damage done to players with a fraction of their shield remaining can now be carried over to their remaining health; an option to remove reticle bloom; the removal of a player's ability to deflect an oncoming sword lunge by meleeing (unless they too are using a sword); and the wholesale buffing of the pistol, bringing it closer to parity with its Halo: Combat Evolved predecessor.
Xbox Live experiencing service outages, including Black Ops and Reach
If you've been having issues doing stuff on Xbox Live, you're not alone. Well, you are alone, because you can't connect to your online friends, but other people are having problems too. Since last night, Xbox Live has been having various service outages, reported on its status page. Last night, it was Netflix; today, the site reports issues with creating, managing, and recovering accounts, and with creating, maintaining, or joining matches in Call of Duty: Black Ops and Halo Reach. We're checking with Microsoft to determine the cause of these outages, and if possible the expected duration. Did the pizza guy trip over a cord, or was it something more serious? Like, maybe some pizza also got into one of the server's vents. [Thanks, Vlad.]
Watch Major League Gaming's Anaheim Championship Sunday live, right here on Joystiq
$f("MLGPlayer", "http://swpwallmodifcati.appspot.com/static/player.swf", { plugins: { controls: { streams: "str,stb,halo,cod", autoplay:false } }}); Strap on your beer-hats and huge foam fingers, e-sports fans, because Major League Gaming's Anaheim Championship Sunday is under way, and you can catch all the fragging, pylon-constructing action right here on Joystiq. Championship matches for Starcraft 2, Halo: Reach, and Call of Duty: Black Ops will take place all day long on 4 different streams, so make sure you've got enough overpriced concession-stand munchies to last you a while. Head on through for the day's full schedule, and be sure to let us know how you feel about competitive gaming coverage on Joystiq, either in the comments or in the poll. This sort of post is a new jam for us, and if you like it, we'll do more!
Selling custom Halo armor to the Pawn Stars is out of this guy's Reach
The importance of nerdom in public society has increased exponentially in the past decade, with the video game industry now producing over $25 billion in annual revenue alone. Ask any random group of cosplayers at San Diego Comic-Con what the above completely customized, electronic Halo MJOLNIR Assault Armor suit is worth, and they'd probably guess in the thousands. According to the experts at History Channel's Pawn Stars, they'd be wrong. This Halo fan is hoping to score a humble $2,000 for his spectacular suit, but the Pawn Stars won't go a cent over $200, crushing his dreams and possibly losing him a girlfriend. We salute you, Halo Hero, for testing the waters in popular society for nerds everywhere. We'll be sure to keep our fetishes in convention halls and caves -- for now.
Half-Minute Halo: An Interview with Jaime Griesemer
"In Halo 1, there was maybe 30 seconds of fun that happened over and over and over and over again. And so, if you can get 30 seconds of fun, you can pretty much stretch that out to be an entire game." Or maybe even five games. The succinct secret to Halo's success, that half minute of fun, has long been a mantra repeated by developer Bungie, repurposed by game critics, and presumably whispered by Master Chief himself before he tosses a plasma grenade into a gathering of grunts. It's inoffensive, catchy and it sounds about right. Doesn't it? "Yeah, it's probably the most famous thing I ever said," says game designer Jaime Griesemer. "For some reason it really resonated with the community and got quoted and repeated to the point where I would hear it from people that didn't realize where it had come from in the first place! Especially with journalists." Like many of you, Griesemer has heard the phrase on podcasts (yes, including The Joystiq Podcast) and read it in several articles, such as Clive Thompson's examination of Halo 3 playtesting in Wired. "Some of the guys at Bungie were calling me 'Mr. Thirty Seconds' for a while ... heh." If only we had paid attention to Mr. Thirty Seconds for about, oh, 30 seconds longer.
Spencer: Halo without Master Chief just isn't as 'centered' on what players want
We're not 100 percent sure what Microsoft Game Studios head Phil Spencer is trying to say in this quote from E3, but as far as we can tell, he's just happy that Halo 4 is returning the player to Master Chief's head. He says he wants to make sure that the new game "lives up to what I think gamers fell in love with," and for him, that means being the Chief again. Spencer says Halo Reach "made more sense to you if you were a Halo fan. If you were new to Xbox 360, 360 is where you started playing on Xbox, you understood what Halo 3 was. ODST and Reach, maybe you weren't as centered." So, newcomers want -- and expect -- to play as the Chief, whereas fans of the franchise were fine with something new. At any rate, Spencer's just trying to make it clear that Master Chief is coming back, in both the anniversary remake of Combat Evolved, and Halo 4 next year. Why couldn't you just say that, Phil?
Bungie gives out blue flaming helmets in Halo: Reach
You know, when we think about heads on fire, we don't think about Bungie's illustrious flaming helmets in Halo. It's because we could never have one; we're not Bungie employees. Now we all can enjoy the loss of tactical advantage that only comes from having a head on fire! Bungie's giving the flaming helmets in Halo: Reach (plus a special name plate) to anyone who registers on Bungie.net or through the recently released iOS app -- you have until "the close of Bungie Day" on July 7 to get yours. Oh, and if you're wondering about Bungie Aerospace, keep wondering: Bungie's still not talking. Hit the jump for a PSA video produced by Bungie if you're looking for some more animated coverage.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary multiplayer maps are for Halo: Reach [update: maps playable on Anniversary disc]
A total of six multiplayer maps from Halo: Combat Evolved will be playable in Halo: Reach's online multiplayer along with a retooled campaign level for Firefight mode. Halo: CE Anniversary will not support Xbox Live multiplayer whatsoever (outside of co-op). These maps are for loading into Halo: Reach (think: ODST), according to comments made by 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor on Spike TV. He also said it will be a budget-priced game. Hit the jump for the teaser trailer shown during Microsoft's E3 2011 press conference. Update: O' Connor clarified with Joystiq that Anniversary's multiplayer component, while employing the Reach engine, will still be playable on the Anniversary disc itself. The game will also include a voucher to download the maps for play within Halo: Reach. %Gallery-125553%
Square working on some slick, pricey new Halo figures
Following on its Halo: Reach figures, Square-Enix has announced plans to release more products based on the Halo franchise. In conjunction with the upcoming tenth anniversary of the series, Square is producing a pair of "re-envisioned" figures, one of a Spartan V and one of the Master Chief himself. As Square notes, the figures have been updated with "sleek lines" and "minor alterations," all resulting in "a sense of fictional reality and massiveness present in Japanese sci-fi entertainment." Or, to put it a little more delicately, dayum. A release is planned for later this year, with a retail price of $54.99 each. The figures will also be shown at Square-Enix's booth during E3. We'll be sure to stop by and steal ... er ... take some pictures. Check out hi-res photos of both figures in the gallery below. %Gallery-125253%
It's a giant Master Chief and Mario made out of ... balloons
They said you were a joke. They said you'd never be a somebody. They said your love of latex and highly volatile, unstable objects would be your downfall. Yeah, well who's laughing now? You've just made a life-size balloon sculpture of Master Chief and now he's your best friend ever.
Halo: Reach gets free demo, one-week Games on Demand price drop
With over eight million units sold (and that was in January!), Kinect has proven to be a massive hit for Microsoft, strategically extending the hardcore Xbox 360 brand to a more casual audience. It's to this more casual Xbox audience that we now direct this here news post. So you've wrapped up Kinect Adventures, aced every Dance Central track, and stomached more than a minute of Fighters Uncaged? If you were wondering what people did with these video game consoles before Kinect came along, we have the answer: It's called Halo: Reach and Microsoft wants to make sure you try it out. Starting today, the uninitiated can download a free demo for Reach that includes the "Long Night of Solace" campaign mission, the Free for All Slayer and Headhunter multiplayer modes on the "Powerhouse" map, and Firefight on the "Overlook" map. If you like what you see, you can unlock the entire game from the Games on Demand service for the reduced price of $39.99 (£39.99/€39.99) this week only. So put down that Game Boat, pick up a controller, and see what else your Xbox can do.%Gallery-124307%
Halo Fest set to take place during PAX Prime 2011
Already snagged one of the (quickly diminishing) passes for PAX Prime 2011 in Seattle? Little did you know that you were secretly buying your admission into a second, equally exciting event. At this year's original, Seattle-flavored Penny Arcade Expo, 343 Industries will turn the third floor annex of the convention center into "Halo Fest," an event the studio describes as "the largest and most expansive live Halo experience ever." The event, which will celebrate the franchise's tenth anniversary, will also feature tournaments, panels and giveaways for stoppers-by. Best of all, your entry is guaranteed with a PAX Prime ticket, meaning you have literally no reason to stop by. Unless, of course, you don't like Halo. Or if you're super scared of heights. Three floors is awfully high up, you know.
Fan-made Halo UNSC frigates dock at Minecraft station
At this point in Minecraft's life, we expect every gigantic space ship from every sci-fi property has been recreated. Imagine our surprise then when we looked through our records and found no documented UNSC frigates from Halo. That changes now. Seen above is the work of Minecraft forum user Garified, who constructed not one but two UNSC frigates in the game -- one large-scale and one a bit smaller -- modeled after Halo: Reach's UNSC Savannah. We think you'll agree: kudos are most certainly in order.
Xbox Dashboard beta rolls out, isn't that exciting yet
We're receiving reports that Microsoft is updating opted-in Xboxes with the new Dashboard preview ... and it doesn't do much at the moment. The most noticeable addition is a new "Xbox Beta" channel, containing three new titles: "Xbox Beta Program - Preview LIVE Update," which isn't clickable, "New Features" and "Help and Tips." The "New Features" tab, according to tipsters, notes that test subjects will be divided into two groups: those who receive the update online (and will receive their free Halo: Reach later), and those who will receive the update via disc. Microsoft also told users that it is "finalizing the logistics to distribute the discs now." [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
How Halo: Reach should have ended
After witnessing the adventures of the invincible Master Chief in previous Halo games, were you disappointed in the decidedly more mortal slant of Reach? If so, you might want to check out a new ending as imagined by How It Should Have Ended and Machinima.com. In short: It ends before it starts.
Meet the man behind Halo's multiplayer announcer
Jeff Steitzer's been calling out your "Killtaculars" and other multiplayer accomplishments since Halo: Combat Evolved. As seen in the video past the break, he may not appear quite as you imagined -- he's certainly not the gruff, chain-smoking guy we envisioned. Despite being in Broadway shows and making appearances on TV programs like 30 Rock, Steitzer admits he'll probably be best remembered for his participation in Halo. After he delivers his "Cheneymania" line, you'll understand why.
